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Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
8,490 posts, read 15,041,662 times
Reputation: 7364
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bu2
The Beltline people seem to want to do everything they can to make it difficult to drive in Atlanta. To work on the trail, in March they will be shutting down Ralph McGill AND Ponce de Leon at the same time. Ralph McGill will be shut down for the entire month.
Well, I don't agree, but it is worth noting that in every city that has extremely high transit usage it is exceptionally hard to own a car there. For example, have you ever attempted to drive and park in Manhattan? There term "you would have to be crazy to do either" is actually true there.
Does anyone have any recent surveys of public opinion on this transportation referendum?
Personally I'm for it, but I hear a lot of talk from folks (even those I'd categorize as city-oriented and socially progressive) who are far from convinced that it's a good idea. The objections seem to fall into two main categories:
(1) Can we really count on this money being spent wisely?
(2) How does a 9% sales tax affect us competitively?
Those are legitimate questions and they shouldn't be dismissed on the basis that they are the views of backward, car-loving, transit-hating people.
I think the proponents of the TIA need to do a lot more work in selling this proposal. Transit planning is always long term and it's never easy to convince people that they should pay more for something that may not happen until 5 or 10 years later.
Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
8,490 posts, read 15,041,662 times
Reputation: 7364
Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57
Does anyone have any recent surveys of public opinion on this transportation referendum?
Personally I'm for it, but I hear a lot of talk from folks (even those I'd categorize as city-oriented and socially progressive) who are from convinced that it's a good idea. The objections seem to fall into two main categories:
(1) Can we really count on this money being spent wisely?
(2) How does a 9% sales tax affect us competitively?
Those are legitimate questions and they shouldn't be dismissed on the basis that they are the views of backward, car-loving, transit-hating people.
I think the proponents of the TIA need to do a lot more work in selling this proposal. Transit planning is always long term and it's never easy to convince people that they should pay more for something that may not happen until 5 or 10 years later.
I'd interested in seeing that too. I will say though the questions/issues I usually hear when this topic comes up are different than yours, mainly:
1.) If it passes, can the State actually pull it off?
2.) July seems like it was picked to make sure it failed.
I give up on Atlanta ever having more Transit then. It already has...We Have to make out peace with it that The country bumpkins Callin The shots will do nothing but expand the roads...I hope Atlanta meets a bad decline in populations and Businesses...by then it will be too late to be pulled back to life...i just dont see why it takes better then 10 long years to get anything done....it looks unattractive to the voter...Too many gripes over whose gettin what...half you guys on here scream theres no need for commuter rail or any kind of rail expansion.....So why have the GRTA Been so successful? If Metro residents didnt want alternatives to driving then those buses would have been scrapped years ago...in fact the opposite is hapening ...more coaches are needed and more areas wouldnt mind havi. The service...That commuter bus service is THE BEST REPRESENTATION OF METRO ATLANTA.PERIOD! ..it covers the region so NO BODY HERE can scream "they only rep a small portion of atl" ...I GURANTEE This vote will FAIL Simply due to the fact that Folks here jus rather drive then Take a train...so lets just kill the noise now and focus on How we can become Americas Most Congested City...PAVE PAVE PAVE BABY!!!
I give up on Atlanta ever having more Transit then. It already has...We Have to make out peace with it that The country bumpkins Callin The shots will do nothing but expand the roads...I hope Atlanta meets a bad decline in populations and Businesses...by then it will be too late to be pulled back to life...i just dont see why it takes better then 10 long years to get anything done....it looks unattractive to the voter...Too many gripes over whose gettin what...half you guys on here scream theres no need for commuter rail or any kind of rail expansion.....So why have the GRTA Been so successful? If Metro residents didnt want alternatives to driving then those buses would have been scrapped years ago...in fact the opposite is hapening ...more coaches are needed and more areas wouldnt mind havi. The service...That commuter bus service is THE BEST REPRESENTATION OF METRO ATLANTA.PERIOD! ..it covers the region so NO BODY HERE can scream "they only rep a small portion of atl" ...I GURANTEE This vote will FAIL Simply due to the fact that Folks here jus rather drive then Take a train...so lets just kill the noise now and focus on How we can become Americas Most Congested City...PAVE PAVE PAVE BABY!!!
I agree with you to a certain point, but I am not giving up until this thing passes since I have to live with the decision that will be made. The decision made will affect everyone in the metro area.
WE NEED MORE TRANSPORTATION OPTION in metro Atlanta....Period! I do not want this region to fail just to realize that we made a DUMB decision.
Atlanta's economy needs a huge boost and the penny sales tax will help to spur growth economically, and that is a fact.
Last edited by BeyondInfinity; 03-01-2012 at 06:52 AM..
I give up on Atlanta ever having more Transit then. It already has...We Have to make out peace with it that The country bumpkins Callin The shots will do nothing but expand the roads...I hope Atlanta meets a bad decline in populations and Businesses...by then it will be too late to be pulled back to life...i just dont see why it takes better then 10 long years to get anything done....it looks unattractive to the voter...Too many gripes over whose gettin what...half you guys on here scream theres no need for commuter rail or any kind of rail expansion.....So why have the GRTA Been so successful? If Metro residents didnt want alternatives to driving then those buses would have been scrapped years ago...in fact the opposite is hapening ...more coaches are needed and more areas wouldnt mind havi. The service...That commuter bus service is THE BEST REPRESENTATION OF METRO ATLANTA.PERIOD! ..it covers the region so NO BODY HERE can scream "they only rep a small portion of atl" ...I GURANTEE This vote will FAIL Simply due to the fact that Folks here jus rather drive then Take a train...so lets just kill the noise now and focus on How we can become Americas Most Congested City...PAVE PAVE PAVE BABY!!!
They actually haven't been expanding the roads either. The last new freeway that was built was the 400 extention between I-285 and I-85. This is why I think we should look at how they do things in Japan and take notes. They've been in a "recession" for a decade and a half and they are still able to build new roads and rail lines. That is because most of the infrasturcture there is funded by private companies and not by the government, as I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread.
If Atlanta was like Tokyo, there will be about a $5 toll to drive I-75 from Marietta to Atlanta, or a $5 train ride. The other option is to drive Hwy 41 for free but it will be more congested and take longer. The qualitiy of life in Japan was worth every yen, and I wish for Georgia to become like Japan someday.
If Atlanta was like Tokyo, there will be about a $5 toll to drive I-75 from Marietta to Atlanta, or a $5 train ride. The other option is to drive Hwy 41 for free but it will be more congested and take longer. The qualitiy of life in Japan was worth every yen, and I wish for Georgia to become like Japan someday.
We need to quit subsidizing the roads and charge people using it the real price for maintenance. The I-85 HOT lanes are only the beginning of congestion pricing lanes in Atlanta. If we don't expand mass transit, soon all interstate lanes will be tolled. Gas tax revenue can't keep up with highway maintenance. With more fuel efficient cars the state will have to look for other ways for highway maintenance. Maybe Sonny shoulda reconsidered building all those 4 lane highways in central and south GA.
We need to quit subsidizing the roads and charge people using it the real price for maintenance. The I-85 HOT lanes are only the beginning of congestion pricing lanes in Atlanta. If we don't expand mass transit, soon all interstate lanes will be tolled. Gas tax revenue can't keep up with highway maintenance. With more fuel efficient cars the state will have to look for other ways for highway maintenance. Maybe Sonny shoulda reconsidered building all those 4 lane highways in central and south GA.
The gas tax can't keep up? How do you figure? It can't keep up, or it hasn't kept up. It is the 2nd lowest in the country. With the federal gas tax included, Georgians pay $0.314 per gallon. The national average is $0.47 per gallon. Of that, Georgia state tax is about $0.13, while the national average is about $0.29 a gallon. Double the state gas tax tomorrow. Heck, you could triple it and still have 6 or 7 states with higher state gas taxes. We don't need congestion pricing. I am in favor of HOT lanes on I-75 and a large increase in the state gas tax. I am a big fan of taxing consumption. The gas tax is the consumption tax on road usage and the HOT lanes, provide another option for financing road expansion. I don't like taking existing capacity and charging for that (like was done on I-85). Double the state gas tax and suddenly you have more money for road improvements statewide. It doesn't solve everything, but neither does spending multiple billions of dollars on a low speed, light rail line up to Kennessaw.
But that's what everyone who wants to get rid of the IRS wants, a national sales tax?
Quote:
neither does spending multiple billions of dollars on a low speed, light rail line up to Kennessaw.
No that just gives people in Cobb another option in commuting that sitting in traffic and risking their lives driving cars everyday. Transit is all about options, whether to drive or use transit.
Location: The Greatest city on Earth: City of Atlanta Proper
8,490 posts, read 15,041,662 times
Reputation: 7364
Quote:
Originally Posted by cqholt
No that just gives people in Cobb another option in commuting that sitting in traffic and risking their lives driving cars everyday. Transit is all about options, whether to drive or use transit.
Exactly. I am infinitely confused by those who thank advocating for more transit options means getting rid of your car. In cities that have transit networks we can only hope to ever have, millions people still drive every where they go and never get on transit. All that we need are more options for the millions of people who don't want to use their car.
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